The days at Hogwarts

As they were talking, the two had already left the History of Magic Office and came to the corridor of an abandoned classroom. Through the half-open door and the windows of the classroom that were not closed tightly, the sound of the noisy wind and rain outside could faintly reach their ears, but fortunately there was no thunder.

"Later... Later she got Sybil's prophecy and asked me to verify it again." Dumbledore's eyes showed a gleam of reminiscence as he slowly recalled, "It was probably two years before you and Hermione entered school. Well, maybe a year, I can't remember clearly. Sybil said that a Hogwarts student would meet her in Egypt and help her remove the curse in her blood."

Dumbledore's footsteps were light, and his voice was also light: "I thought it would be Harry. You know, he is a very special one. He was involved in a prophecy before he was born. After the incident with the Philosopher's Stone, I thought that student would be you."

"Ha, you didn't expect it, it's actually Hermione!" Loren shook his head, his face full of pride because of the girl, as if Hermione being the predicted student was more worthy of joy than himself.

"After taking Hermione to the Ministry of Magic, I actually had such a guess, but I wasn't sure." Dumbledore smiled indifferently, "But no matter who it was, I didn't reveal it to you. From experience, the best way to treat a prophecy is to ignore it."

He raised his hand to touch Loren's hair, but found that his height was no longer suitable, so he patted his shoulder instead: "Come on, tell me about Miss Granger's heroic deeds in Egypt..."

Loren didn't hide anything and recounted everything that happened in the pyramid from beginning to end: "It was a pyramid... Anyway, the mummy of the Sphinx was very strange... According to the goblin manager of Gringotts, the strange crucible eventually grew brass feet and hopped away."

After listening to his story, Dumbledore fell into deep thought, repeating the Sphinx's riddle softly: "Who is always wearing a mask, acting secretly, and telling lies... Who is always waving a cane, fooling the servants, and being fooled by the servants..."

"Power, power..." Dumbledore's blue eyes flashed with a strange light. He was silent for a while, and suddenly smiled and said, "What an exquisite puzzle. If I want to write a fairy tale book after I retire, I will definitely include this story in the book."

Loren looked at him and asked tentatively, "The Tales of Albus the Bard?"

This funny book title seemed to cast a magic spell of happiness, and instantly made Dumbledore burst into laughter. He stopped, held his beard and laughed until he bent over. The back of his robe dragged on the ground. He laughed until tears came out. Dumbledore wiped the corners of his eyes and stood up tremblingly.

Loren stood by and looked at the old principal in a daze.

Is it that funny?

The principal has such a low sense of humor.

Dumbledore gathered up his beard, which had spread out due to laughter, and said, "What an interesting title! When I finish writing it, I will definitely ask you to write the preface. When you become famous in the wizarding world, The Tales of Albus the Bard will surely be a best-seller."

"Is it that funny?" Loren asked doubtfully.

Dumbledore lowered his head and gathered his beard, separating the tangled hairs and straightening them out one by one: "When I was young, I imagined many futures, such as Minister of Magic, Chief of the Wizengamot, changing the status quo of the wizarding world and creating a better world."

"But in the end..." Dumbledore paused for a moment, "Perhaps you will think that my choice is a cowardly one, but I have no regrets. The answer of the Sphinx sounded like a compliment to me."

After straightening his beard, Dumbledore raised his head and changed the subject of the Sphinx and power: "Did you notice the magical cauldron? Did you feel it was familiar? Hint: the answer is in The Tales of Peter the Bard."

Loren blinked, then quickly realized what was happening and exclaimed in disbelief: "A wizard's jumping pot!?"

"It has magical powers and can grow brass feet..." Dumbledore pretended to be silent. "If nothing unexpected happens, it should be the jumping pot mentioned in The Tales of Beedle the Bard?"

Loren directly asked the doubts that had been in his mind for a long time: "The Tales of Beedle the Bard are not just fictional stories, right? The Deathly Hallows are real, the Hopping Pot is real, you mentioned the Fountain of Luck, and the Hairy Heart is also real. They are all magical items that exist in reality, right?"

"They are not just simple magic items." Dumbledore added, "There are unknown secrets behind these stories. The hairy heart represents the Horcrux of immortality, and the jumping pot was once a source of power... Those who collect the Deathly Hallows will have an invincible power to conquer death."

Loren frowned and thought for a while: "So will the jumping pot have any effect on Hermione? I mean, for such a mysterious and troublesome magical item that seems to have self-awareness, it is the right choice for Hermione not to have it, right?"

Dumbledore looked at Loren kindly, his eyes showing approval. After hearing so many wonderful magics, his first reaction was not to collect those items, but to worry about the safety of his companions...

The two of them walked halfway around the corridor on the second floor. In front of them was a bathroom, where Loren and his friends had fought off the mountain monster on Halloween in their first year.

"It's hard to say, Loren. The situation may be more complicated than we think." Dumbledore said slowly. Facing Loren's inquiring eyes, he shook his head, "But don't worry too much. Complexity does not mean bad news."

Death to the Riddler!

Loren couldn't help but roll his eyes: "Get to the point!"

"The stories written by Beedle the Bard should be later than the time when the pyramid was built. The jumping pot has a certain self-awareness. I think its magic can allow it to break free from the constraints of the pyramid and appear somewhere else. It may take the initiative to find Hermione." Dumbledore smiled, "Don't worry, from your experience and the description in The Tales of Beedle the Bard, as long as Hermione can stick to her original intention, the jumping pot will only become her tool."

Loren followed him doubtfully, not saying a word.

Dumbledore's analysis made sense, and Loren agreed, but when it came to Hermione's safety...

Loren made a decision silently. If the jumping pot dared to jump out and do something wrong, he would use the basilisk fangs to deal with it. If the fangs didn't work, he could also get the sword of Gryffindor.

Come to think of it, the Fierce Fire Curse should also be arranged.

Loren nodded thoughtfully.

Looking at the strange expression on his face, Dumbledore fell silent, always feeling that he was thinking about something bad.

Passing the bathroom, there is an open window in the middle of the corridor. The angle is very good, so you can see outside the castle while preventing wind and rain from blowing in.

With good eyesight, Loren saw the Dementors floating in the sky in the distance. He recalled what happened today: "Bellatrix Lestrange has been on the run for a while, right? The Ministry of Magic should have realized that she had left the country long ago. Why did they send people to monitor Harry and even block the school?"

Loren had wanted to ask these questions a long time ago: "Also, what's the matter with the high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic defecting? Someone defected before Voldemort was resurrected?"

The sound of howling wind and rain became clearer, and the relaxed atmosphere just now seemed to be blown away by the sound of wind and rain.

Dumbledore replied, "About a week ago, someone saw Bellatrix in Hogsmeade. According to the Aurors' investigation, Mr. Ambrosio Froome said that she finally disappeared in the basement of her own shop."

"Ambrose?" Loren felt that the name was familiar.

Shop, basement... a series of key words flashed through his mind, and Loren exclaimed in surprise, "Honeydukes Candy Store? Basement? There is a secret passage leading to the school!

Merlin's beard! They're not going to get into the castle, are they? "

Last semester, in order to give Hermione a different birthday, he borrowed George and Fred's map and learned that there were seven secret passages from Hogwarts Castle to Hogsmeade Village, and the administrator Filch guarded the entrances to four of them.

Of the other three, one was hidden behind the mirror on the fifth floor, one had a Whomping Willow at the entrance, and Loren chose the last one, which was in the middle of the corridor on the fourth floor, behind a statue of a hunchbacked one-eyed witch.

Dumbledore turned his head slightly to look at him, and Loren showed a well-behaved smile: "Hey, exploring the castle is the responsibility of all young wizards."

"I know, but I didn't expect you to be able to find such a secret passage." Dumbledore said quietly, "After all, even Mr. Filch, who is so dedicated to his duties, doesn't know about it, let alone me, the headmaster who has lived in the castle for decades."

Loren continued to smile obediently.

Dumbledore turned his head back and continued what he had just said: "The Ministry of Magic also believes that Bellatrix may be hiding in the school or in Hogsmeade. They believe that this vicious Death Eater will lurk and wait for everyone to let down their guard, and then kill Harry in one fell swoop to avenge her master's previous shame."

Loren thought about this possibility, then shook his head: "The people in the Ministry of Magic are wasting their time. They think Voldemort is dead, so they think so, but we all know that Voldemort is still alive. Bellatrix and the Ministry official's escape must be Voldemort's work. She must be with Voldemort now."

"They should be in Ilvermorny now, why are they in Hogsmer——" Loren was stunned for a moment, he remembered something that happened last semester, and the agreement between him and Voldemort. He raised his eyebrows and said in surprise, "For Peter Pettigrew? Bellatrix sent the rat to me on Voldemort's orders?"

"I haven't considered this possibility." Dumbledore frowned and thought for a moment, then said slowly, "I thought they were coming for Harry."

Because of that special prophecy, Lily's protective magic, and the scar on Harry's forehead, Dumbledore always believed that Harry was the person Voldemort valued most.

He knew about the agreement between Voldemort and Loren, but he didn't expect that Voldemort would actually fulfill it, and so quickly.

"So they might really be hiding in the castle!" Loren's tone was filled with barely perceptible excitement. He looked at the ceiling of the corridor, his sharp eyes seemed to penetrate through layers of barriers, looking towards a secret location somewhere unknown.

"I don't think so..." Dumbledore shook his head slightly. "Professor McGonagall and the people from the Ministry of Magic conducted a comprehensive search of the castle. Filch and I also participated in it. We confirmed that they were not hiding in the castle. Later, the Ministry of Magic sent Dementors to block the main passages. Not even a mouse could escape the search."

Loren licked his lips and then pressed them together.

He didn't quite believe in this kind of search. Hogwarts Castle had too many secret corners and too many unknown places to hide. Various hidden passages, the Room of Requirement, and Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets...

He silently estimated the fighting strength. Peter Pettigrew was a waste, and Bellatrix was a little tricky... But it seemed like they could be dealt with.

"Loren!" Dumbledore woke him up in a deep voice, looked into his eyes with burning eyes, and said meaningfully, "When you stare into the abyss, darkness will rise. Don't be drowned by darkness."

He didn't say much. Compared with his earlier worries and suspicions, after two years of getting along, Dumbledore felt that he had seen through Loren's true nature. Moreover, with a kind girl accompanying him, he would not repeat the mistakes of the old man.

Loren didn't answer...

Walking along the corridor on the second floor, I had walked most of the way without realizing it. In front of me was the school infirmary and Madam Pomfrey's office. Then I returned to the starting point, Professor McGonagall's office.

Chapter 281: Opening Party

1993

Although both the infirmary and the school doctor's office belonged to Madam Pomfrey, they were two separate rooms, one large and one small.

Madam Pomfrey rarely used her office. She stayed in the school infirmary all year round, busy taking care of the little wizards who lost their ears, the little wizards who broke their limbs by jumping down the stairs... or hiding behind the medicine cabinet, mixing those strange-smelling potions.

Just as Lauren and Dumbledore passed by the door of the school infirmary, Madam Pomfrey, who had just finished examining Harry, returned.

Madam Pomfrey opened the door of the school infirmary and nodded at them with a smile, "Pace yourself, Headmaster. Minerva is almost done talking to Miss Granger."

Dumbledore also had a gentle smile on his face: "Don't forget the time, Poppy, don't be late for the sorting ceremony."

Madam Pomfrey nodded in agreement and closed the door of the school infirmary neatly.

Dumbledore was stunned.

Lauren smiled, feeling that Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall were getting closer, and their attitudes towards the headmaster were becoming similar.

Without stopping, the two continued to move forward.

The smell of medicine coming from the school infirmary reminded Loren of the wolfsbane potion. He asked in a low voice, "Principal, does Professor Lupin need treatment for his werewolf disease? I can lend you the Philosopher's Stone."

The combination of the Philosopher's Stone and the Restoration Charm worked very well for Grandpa Bates, and the ritual had a good prognosis with no adverse reactions, and there was no sign of recurrence for several years.

Although this treatment method cannot be promoted on a large scale, it should be okay to give special treatment to teaching staff, and it can be regarded as a medical benefit of Hogwarts.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, somewhat strangely, then shook his head and said, "Not for now."

"Why?" Loren asked curiously, "The Philosopher's Stone Ritual is much better than the Wolfsbane Potion. It can almost allow Professor Lupin to live a normal life."

Professor McGonagall's office was in front of them. Dumbledore simply stopped at the stairs and looked at the dark corridor with a far-reaching gaze. "During the summer vacation, I mentioned to Remus about curing werewolf disease. I even planned to borrow the Philosopher's Stone from you during the vacation..."

Loren also stopped and asked: "And then?"

"We were almost on the verge of reaching an agreement." Dumbledore sighed quietly, "Then, a senior official of the Ministry of Magic defected. Through an investigation of the official's family, the Ministry of Magic found that the direct reason for his defection was lycanthropy."

"What does this have to do with Professor Lupin?"

“The implementation of the Anti-Werewolf Act made some werewolves who hid their identities and wanted to live a normal life feel uneasy. Under political and life pressures, many people turned to Fenrir Greyback.

Miss Beetle told me in the letter that the werewolf tribe in the United States is also making deals with Voldemort... Remus thinks he should keep his werewolf identity, maybe it can be useful."

Dumbledore's expression was neither happy nor sad when he said these words. Only in the pauses between sentences did Loren hear some emotional fluctuations.

"Many years ago, Remus' father, Mr. Lyall Lupin, revealed Fenrir Greyback's identity as a werewolf at the Ministry of Magic. But the Ministry of Magic at that time did not listen to his advice and let Greyback go. On the eve of Remus' fifth birthday, Fenrir Greyback broke into his home, leaving him with eternal pain..."

Dumbledore paused, "Fighting Voldemort and Greyback is what he wants to do, and living a normal life is also what he desires."

"So, Principal..." Loren looked at him, "What do you think?"

This old principal is very humane in some aspects, but seems a little cold in some areas, so people often think that he is scheming and deep-minded.

Perhaps it was a bad habit he picked up from his time with the first Dark Lord; the methods used by big men are always somewhat cruel.

"Well... I respect his choice. If Remus can infiltrate the werewolves, he will play a huge role." Dumbledore's eyes were still on the silent stairs, motionless.

In his nearly 100 years of life, Dumbledore has seen too many dilemmas that he has no control over. He certainly knows that using wolfsbane potion to preserve Lupin's werewolf identity is the best option, just as he could release the basilisk with ease last school year after taking safety measures.

It was just that after the innocent little witch pointed out the feelings of Creevy and Finch-Fletchley, which he had ignored, some emotions that had been worn away in his long life resurfaced. When Dumbledore made a similar decision again, he had more concerns.

"Severus may give you the task of brewing the wolfsbane potion." Dumbledore winked at Loren playfully, "Perhaps you can make the potion taste better with Remus."

"The mechanism of action of the wolfsbane potion is this: the harder it is to drink, the better the effect. It's painful when you drink it, but it will be less painful on a full moon night." Loren kicked the wall lightly with his boots out of boredom.

"Potions, what a magical subject..."

A few minutes later, Hermione came out with a beaming look on her face. She held something in front of her chest and came to Loren, skipping and jumping. "You'd never guess what the time converter can do! It's amazing!"

When he opened his palm, he revealed a glittering golden hourglass. Even the sand inside was golden, emitting a faint glow.

Before Loren had time to take a closer look, he was interrupted by Professor McGonagall who came out from behind.

"Ahem!" Professor McGonagall coughed twice and reminded with emphasis, "Miss Granger, remember what we agreed on."

"I understand, Professor. I'll keep it a secret." Hermione responded somewhat dejectedly. The little witch felt depressed because she had so much to say but was blocked.

Loren found it funny and whispered in her ear, "Let's talk when we get back."

"Ok!"

"We can now consider taking back the time turner." Professor McGonagall looked at the old headmaster with a serious face, "Miss Granger is very reassuring. Unfortunately, she has a good friend named Loren."

Dumbledore laughed.

……

The hall was a sea of ​​pointed black hats, and every long college table was filled with students. Although the magic dome was covered with dark clouds and no stars were visible, the thousands of candles floating above the hall cast their light on every classroom, and everyone's face was shining brightly.

"The flesh is sliced ​​and cooked until done, and the meat is taken from the boa constrictor;

The teeth of jackals and the scales of dragons, the hideous appearance of a thousand-year-old wizard.

No matter how hard I work, no matter how annoying I get, the foam in the cauldron has already become a wave;

......"

The frog choir members held toads in their hands and sang to celebrate the new school year at Hogwarts. Professor Flitwick stood in the middle of the hall, facing the choir with his back to the audience, immersed in the beautiful music and waving his baton freely.

"Oh!" whispered Hermione, "We missed the Sorting."

Dumbledore curled his lips: "But we caught up with the chorus."

“…eyes of salamanders, toes of frogs, hair of bats, teeth of dogs;

The tongue of a viper is like the fork of an earthworm's spines, the feet of a lizard and the wings of an owl.

If you don’t mind the hard work and the trouble, there will be evil people coming——"